Something
by Kurai Malik
Summary: It's Naruto's birthday and he wants to pay his respects to the Fourth. Words are said and he questions of he's anything. RR!


Okay yeah this is 4 Naru-chan's b-day. Eh, it'll all just spill out. Working at a time limit here people!

Anywah, Enjoy!

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Naruto sat in the school's sandbox watching everyone pass by. The other children were going home with their _parents._ They all left him there, alone on his birthday. He buried his small hands in the cool sand before him. He pulled them up and watched mesmerized as the sand fell through his fingers.

A shadow darkened his view and instinctively the -now- nine year old looked up. He found two older boys from the senior class frowning down on him. One of them kicked sand at Naruto and chuckled.

"So Naruto, it's you're birthday. Here's your present!" Again he kicked sand to the young blonde, and the other joined him. Naruto let out a small groan and got sand in his mouth. He tried to spit it out but when they attacked again more went in.

"Happy birthday." They scoffed and they left Naruto struggling to get the sand off his tongue. After spitting a few times he started making himself a present. Anything to get his mind off of the bullies he has to face every day. His hands robotically made a dome of sand; he rounded the sides and flattened the top. It was very crude, but recognizable.

The door to the academy opened to reveal Iruka. He walked over to Naruto and waited patiently for Naruto to talk to him. The blonde looked at his sensei and smiled. Iruka wouldn't hurt him. He was safe. For now.

"Naruto, what are you still doing out here?" Iruka asked. He sat on the ground to be level with the younger. The blonde's face dimmed and his eyes fell to his sand creation.

"When I go into the village, they look at me all mean. That's all they do, and just because I glued grass to that statue!" Naruto complained. Iruka sighed and tried not to remember the statue completely covered by grass and glue.

"They just didn't want that statue to be ruined Naruto. It was a pretty expensive statue." Iruka played along, knowing the whispers were not about Naruto's recent prank, but the anniversary of everything linked to the Kyuubi. Yondaime's death, the destruction of the village, numerous deaths, and the sealing of the demon.

"Yeah well, it looks better with color." Naruto grinned exposing a few of his baby teeth that haven't yet left him. Iruka smiled back and rustled the boy's hair. He looked at Naruto and wondered if the prankster ever thought of the date of his birth and the date of the Kyuubi's sealing. Of course the blond knew about Kyuubi, Just…not what exactly happened to it.

Noticing Iruka's silence, Naruto went back to his sand mound and drew on it with small fingers. Iruka snapped out of his train of thought and watched Naruto's actions. "What do you got there?" He asked and made the blonde 'meep' in embarrassment.

"A-a cake." A small blush colored Naruto's whiskered cheeks. Iruka looked over to the 'cake' and read the very Naruto-like kanji. It said 'Happy birthday me.' Iruka smiled sadly. All Naruto wanted was someone to be with. Someone to care for. To be cared. As if he meant nothing. Iruka blocked out memories when he himself went down the same lonely road. But Naruto's was deeper. He has and never had anything.

"Can I have a piece?" Iruka asked. Naruto looked up from his creation to his scarred sensei. He nodded as he fought a blush from his face. With a nearby stick Naruto cut the 'cake' into two pieces. They pretended to eat them and later had a "food fight".

"Iruka-sensei?" Naruto looked up at the sand covered chuunin. Iruka smiled and paid full attention to his student. "Can we go to the Hokage's memorial service?" Naruto asked feeling a bit older talking about the service.

Iruka blinked but smiled warmly. "If you want Naruto."

The two walked to the Hokage tower. There the village was paying their respects and appreciating Yondiame's sacrifice for them. Once they entered whispers erupted from the room and soon it turned quiet. Iruka gave nasty looks to anyone who dared to make a noise to the young blonde beside him. They immediately quit their whispers when the Third Hokage stepped forward to Naruto and Iruka.

"Ah, it's nice to see you here Naruto, Iruka." He greeted with his warm old face. Naruto ran up to him and hugged him. Naruto's attitude changed from happy but quiet to cocky and loud.

"Hey old man. It's my birthday so you have to buy me ramen or let me be Hokage for today!" Sarutobi chuckled and rustled Naruto's hair.

"Nice try, but happy birthday." The Third placed his hand with his other behind his back. He smiled to the pouting blonde. "So you've come to pay respect to the Fourth?" He asked.

"Yeah, if he didn't seal the Kyuubi away, there wouldn't be a village for me to be Hokage of! There would be just a small heap of junk lying around. Just the stuff the Kyuubi didn't want to destroy. I have to thank him." Naruto gave a foxy smile and crossed his arms to look more serious. Sarutobi looked down at the big blue eyes looking up at him. There were the eyes of Naruto. Not the nine tailed demon fox sealed inside the unknowing child. Not the same eyes of the vicious beast that killed beloved people that were once a living part of the village. They were just Naruto. Alone, afraid, and young Naruto.

One of the villagers walked up to Naruto with a scowl on his face. Naruto looked at the angered man and stepped back by instinct. The man pointed accusingly at the boy and started to speak his mind.

"_You_ don't belong here. You just laugh at Yondaime like he was nothing! Well boy, compared to him you are nothing! If he wasn't here you wouldn't be alive right now. And you just waltz in here as if he would accept _your_ blessings."

The room was quiet and the man huffed after pouring double hatred into the last sentence then the rest. The Third and Iruka looked at the man with disgust. Iruka stepped forward and told the man off. "Just because Naruto has a dream does NOT mean he is nothing. It's difficult to actually have a dream after the way you treat him."

Naruto felt tears sting his eyes and his legs started to shake. The man's words stung him like a hot knife and he was to occupied with holding tears back then to listen to what Iruka had to say to the man. It didn't matter anyway. He didn't want to hear anymore. All he wanted was to pay his respects and get away from the whole thing. The blonde flinched as he felt a hand on his shoulder. He followed the arm to its owner and found Sarutobi looking down at him.

"Come with me Naruto." The older man said and led Naruto to the roof of the tower with perfect view of the Hokage faces carved in the mountain.

"Naruto, you mustn't let words hurt you. That man was just a little fed up with your reputation being a prankster." The Third soothed.

Naruto wiped tears from his eyes and sniffed. He found his shoes very interesting and stared at them. After a few moments of silence he finally found the courage to ask.

"Am I nothing?"

Sarutobi frowned and thought of the best way to answer the younger's question. "No you are not. You are Uzumaki Naruto, well-known prankster of Konoha, and the fastest ramen eater in the village. That is something."

Naruto smiled a bit and hugged the old man. "Can we eat ramen now?" He asked his regular cocky and loud attitude coming back. Sarutobi chuckled and rustled the spiky blonde hair before him.

"Let's wait for Iruka." Sandaime suggested.

Later that night Naruto was joined by the Third and Iruka at Ichiraku. As presents Naruto had gotten unlimited ramen paid by Iruka and he got to wear Sandaime's hat during that night.

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Please review!


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